Sponsored by Zaentz Media Center, A Wareham Development
Presented by Museum of the African Diaspora and Speak To Me
Directed by Rob Fruchtman, Lisa Fruchtman
“If ever there’s a place you can find peace, that place is Ingoma Nshya,” says Regine. “That’s where I was reborn.” Ingoma Nshya, the site of Regine’s rebirth, means “new drum” and “new kingdom,” and lends its name to Rwanda’s first all-women drum troupe. Its founder, Kiki Katese, sees no reason why women, forbidden even to touch the drum in ancient times, cannot learn to live together again through this joyous art. At the same time, in an equally bold move toward economic security, she and the troupe join forces with an American woman and entrepreneur to open an ice cream store—and hopefully introduce a brand new product to Rwandans. Challenges arise along the way in this suspenseful, often humorous quest in which scenes of drumming women draped in brilliant colors ultimately mingle with equally striking images of the locals trying out a new dessert.
Film Note Writer: Frako Loden